*spraidijan

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *spraidijan "to spread; to distribute" for Proto-West Germanic,^[1] and EWA derives the West Germanic verbs from *sprai̯dii̯e/a-.^[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *spraidijaną (“to spread”),^[3][4] which Kroonen cites as *spraidjan- ~ *spraitjan-, Orel as *spraiđjanan and Köbler as *spraidjan.^[3][4][5] Kroonen and Orel take it for the causative of Proto-Germanic *sprīþaną (“to break up”),^[3][4] and Wiktionary calls the West Germanic verb a causative to *sprīþan.^[1]

Morphology

A weak verb of class I.^[2][6]

Evidence

Old English has sprǣdan only in compounds,^[2] Old Dutch the prefixed tespreiden (“to scatter”) in a psalm translation of the 9th century,^[7] and Old High German spreiten from the beginning of the 9th century, in glosses, the Tatian and Notker.^[2][8] EWA adds Middle Low German, Middle Dutch and modern Frisian verbs,^[2] and Wiktionary marks the Old Frisian and Old Saxon forms as unattested.^[1]

Competing analyses

EWA reports a dispute over Old High German sprītan: either it continues an old strong verb, from which *sprai̯dii̯e/a- was derived as a causative, or it was itself formed back from that verb.^[2] Kroonen and Orel cite North Germanic verbs beside the West Germanic ones,^[3][4] while EWA leaves open whether the North Germanic forms are inherited or borrowed from Low German.^[2]

Meanings

1. to spread^[1][3]
2. to distribute^[1]

Old High German also used the verb for "to scatter", "to stretch out" and "to shed (tears)".^[2]

Reflexes

• Old English: sprǣdan (“to spread out”)^[6]
• Old Dutch: tespreiden (“to scatter, to disperse”)^[7]
• Old High German: spreiten (“to spread out, to scatter, to stretch”)^[2]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *spraidijan
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Lloyd, Albert L.; Springer, Otto; Lühr, Rosemarie, et al. (1988–), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht; online ewa.saw-leipzig.de, p. s.v. spreiten
3. ^ a b c d e Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 469
4. ^ a b c d Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 366
5. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *spraidjan
6. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. sprǣdan
7. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard, Altniederfränkisches Wörterbuch, online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. tespreiden
8. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. spreiten